What Drains a Car Battery in Winter?

What Causes Your Car Battery to Drain in the Winter?

Ever wonder what causes your car battery to drain so fast?
Especially in the winter, it might seem your car battery fully drains only days
after putting it on a charger. What’s worse, you’ve got places to go, yet your
dead car battery won’t let you get there. But thankfully, you can fix this
problem altogether if you can find the main source of your battery draining.
Even better is that most the time, your battery drains quickly in the winter
for at least one of the following reasons. Now let’s take a closer look at
what’s draining your battery.

Your Negligence

Here’s the number one reason most batteries drain so quickly
in the winter. That’s right, there’s a good chance this one’s on you (at least
to some extent). But really, that makes sense once you consider everything
that’s needed to power your car in the cold weather. And forgetting to power
any of these features off will instantly drop your battery power to zero.

Starting off, you’ve got your lights, which now run much
more during the day. And hey, we’re all guilty of forgetting to power off our
non-automatic lights from time to time. And even when they are automatic,
sometimes, you might shut the auto-feature off by mistake. Sometimes, you don’t
even forget to shut off the lights, but instead, leave your door cracked open
by accident. In this case, that interior light stays on and drains your battery
quickly. So, the next time you leave
your car, be sure to check that all lights are off.

Next, you’ve got your plug-ins and accessories that can
drain your car battery. For example, have you ever left your phone charger
plugged into your cigarette lighter overnight? Or maybe something that draws
even more energy like an after-market seat heater? Either way you look at it,
leaving your electronics plugged into these slots when you leave your car is
another quick way your battery’s power drops.

And lastly, leaving any of the fun car extras running when
the engine’s off can take a pretty big toll on the battery as well. This
includes the passenger lights, radio, and even navigation on the infotainment.
Thus, you’ll want to make sure this is all powered off (or at least limited in
use) whenever you leave your car.

Your Battery Is
Corroded

If you’re not leaving your electronics running in your car,
the drained battery is likely a result of corrosion. So, give your terminals a
check. And if you notice any corrosion, don't worry. Battery maintenance is
pretty quick and easy. Simply wipe the corrosion away with a dry rag or with some
baking soda mixed with water.

Just keep in mind that corrosion will mess with your battery
charges, which, in effect, decreases the battery life. And in worst-case
scenarios, the corrosion can prevent your car from starting altogether. So,
make sure you clean that yucky stuff off if you find it on your battery.

Your Battery’s
Getting Too Cold

It’s no surprise that cold weather isn’t great for your
battery. After all, freezing temperatures can cause your battery to lose up to
60% of its strength. And really, it makes sense when you consider how all those
fluids either freeze or change consistency in the cold. So you can take care of
this one with some simple car care and battery maintenance. Simply invest in
either a battery blanket or a battery charger. Or you can try parking your car
inside to keep the battery warm as well. Either way, this one’s an easy fix
without any complicated car
maintenance.

Keep Your Car’s
Battery Up To Date at JL Freed Honda in Montgomeryville

When your battery’s draining frequently, oftentimes, the
best fix is simply buying a new battery. So check out our service
specials at JL Freed Honda in Montgomeryville. And this isn’t limited
to just your battery either. Instead, we’ll help with a plethora of car
services. So, don’t delay checking out those service specials.